ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · kick · cue · press · chair · cabinet · pit · content

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chair — a leader
  4. cue — a hint
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. cue — a signal
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. root — of a word
  9. press — newspapers
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. root — of a plant
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. press — to push
  15. pit — a hole
  16. root — the cause
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. kick — in football
  19. pit — in a race
  20. press — a publisher
  21. cue — for pool
  22. content — happy
  23. content — the amount
  24. kick — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com